The present invention relates to compositions useful as xerographic component surfaces, and more specifically to fluorinated carbon filled latex fluorocarbon elastomer compositions as surfaces on a supporting substrate useful in electrostatographic, including digital, apparatii, including the surfaces of fuser system members or fuser members, including donor rolls, belts, films, sheets, and the like; pressure rolls, belts, films, sheets, and the like; fuser rolls, belts, films, sheets and the like; toner transfer system members including toner transfer components such as rollers, belts, films, sheets and the like; and biasable system members including biasable components such as bias transfer or bias charging rolls, belts, films, sheets and the like. The present invention provides environmentally friendly fluorinated carbon filled latex fluorocarbon elastomer surfaces for xerographic system members wherein, in embodiments, the electrical characteristics can be tailored to a desired resistivity range, and wherein the resistivity is virtually unaffected by filler loading, changes in temperature, relative humidity, and other environmental changes. Also, the surfaces, in embodiments, have superior chemical resistance and excellent thermal stability.
In a typical electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, a light image of an original to be copied is recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic thermoplastic resin particles which are commonly referred to as toner. The visible toner image is then in a loose powdered form and can be easily disturbed or destroyed. The toner image is usually fixed or fused upon a support which may be the photosensitive member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,553, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes a water-based fluoroelastomer coating composition comprising a fluoroelastomer and an amino silane.
Attorney Docket No. D/96120, U.S. application Ser. No. 08/694,121, U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,250, filed Aug. 8, 1996, discloses crosslinked latex fluorocarbon elastomer and amino silane coatings.
There is also known a water-based fluoroelastomer coating composition comprising an aqueous fluoroelastomer dispersion blended with a polyamine compound (e.g., hexamethylenediamine carbamate, N,N-dicynnamylidene-1,6-hexanediamine) as a vulcanizing agent (cf. DuPont's "Viton," Bulletin, No. 5, April, 1961).
Currently, fluorocarbon elastomer coatings have been applied as a thin layer to surfaces using an organic solvent spray or other liquid organic process.
Normally, the fluorocarbon elastomer is first dissolved in volatile hydrocarbon solvents, such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or the like, to facilitate the deposition of the thin films of fluorocarbon elastomer on the substrates to be coated and to enable the solvent to evaporate into the atmosphere within a reasonable period of time.
Drawbacks of using organic solvents or other liquid organic processes to coat surfaces with fluorocarbon elastomers, include the high cost associated with the organic solvent and the attendant needed vapor filters. In addition, as the concern over hydrocarbon air pollution by state and federal governmental agencies and private interest groups increases year after year, and in addition, as environmental and health regulations on air pollution resulting from hydrocarbon solvents tighten over time, a need exists for a method for coating fluorocarbon elastomers on surfaces that does not result in excessive hydrocarbon emission. In addition, there is a need for surfaces for xerographic members, wherein the resistivity is able to be tailored to a desired range, and wherein the desired resistivity is virtually unaffected by changes in filler loading, temperatures, relative humidity and other environmental and processing changes. Further, there is a need for xerographic surfaces having superior chemical resistance and excellent thermal stability.